The 2021 NWSL season has officially come to a close, with the Washington Spirit crowned as league champions.

In an unprecedented year, NWSL players overcame extraordinary circumstances off the field to continue delivering incredible moments on it, from stunning debut goals to record-breaking accomplishments.

In honor of the thrilling season that was, and in homage to the NWSL’s Best XI, we are counting down the 11 most priceless moments from the season, presented by MasterCard. Let’s get to it.

11. Trinity Rodman’s first goal

Trinity Rodman announced herself to the league on April 10 when she scored her first NWSL goal in a Challenge Cup match against the North Carolina Courage, beating her defender and drilling a long ball past the keeper. The finish foreshadowed the Spirit attacker’s seven goals during the regular season and playoffs, as Rodman stretched opponents’ backlines all season long.

In a momentous rookie season, Rodman led her team to an NWSL Championship, won Rookie of the Year and was named to the Best IX First Team. Not bad for someone who is still just 19 years old.

First touch 🥵 https://t.co/3IHNV73z0D

— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) April 10, 2021

10. Ashlyn Harris’ PK streak

Ashlyn Harris went on a tear over the summer, stopping a staggering five straight penalty kicks for the Orlando Pride. Harris also surpassed the NWSL all-time save record this year, notching her 469th save in Orlando’s 1-0 win over NJ/NY Gotham FC in August.

FIVE. STRAIGHT. PK. SAVES. 🤯#ORLvRGN | https://t.co/iecT7II54a | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/aBEyhMjrqj

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) July 25, 2021

9. Ebony Salmon’s electric debut

Ebony Salmon broke onto the NWSL scene in historic fashion, scoring mere seconds after entering her first Racing Louisville game. The English attacker’s highlight-reel goal earned her the top play on that evening’s “SportsCenter Top 10.”

Salmon went on to notch six goals and three assists in 20 matches and 14 starts with the team, finishing the season as Racing Louisville’s leading scorer.

Knows how to make an entrance 😌@ebony_salmon taking the top play on the @SportsCenter Top 10 ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/4gNNmE6qyo

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) June 21, 2021

8. Racing Louisville wins Women’s Cup

Racing Louisville put an exclamation mark on their debut season, winning the inaugural Women’s Cup title in front of a home crowd at Lynn Family Stadium in August. The championship match was epic, with Louisville outlasting FC Bayern Munich in sudden-death penalty kicks to take home the Cup.

The win raised Louisville’s profile on the international women’s soccer scene in its first year as a club.

ABSOLUTE SCENES 😱

Congratulations to @RacingLouFC on winning the inaugural @thewomenscup final over @FCBfrauen 👏👏👏 pic.twitter.com/KHVGjn5k5j

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 22, 2021

7. Kansas City nabs club’s first win

Kansas City captured their first win in August after a slow start to their inaugural season. Defeating OL Reign 2-1 at home, the expansion club notched the most significant of its three wins against the eventual No. 2 playoff seed. Kansas City ended its first season with a new name, the Kansas City Current, debuting the crest during the club’s final game of the year.

Pick that one out, @hellopickett‼️#KCvRGN | https://t.co/0LtSAUK1Jw | #NWSL21 pic.twitter.com/QsLO7K1Zql

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 15, 2021

6. Angel City makes a splash with Christen Press signing

Angel City FC made headlines before even taking the pitch when the expansion club announced the acquisition of superstar Christen Press in August. The U.S. women’s national team forward had long hoped to play professional soccer in her hometown of Los Angeles and finally got the opportunity when she inked a two-year contract with ACFC.

Press told the Los Angeles Times after her signing: “For it to really be happening, to be able to bring professional soccer back to Los Angeles and to be a part of that team, is nothing but a dream come true.”

It’s really, really, really happening 🥺

We’re beyond excited to have you back home, @ChristenPress! pic.twitter.com/2wrAfdlSQl

— Angel City FC (@weareangelcity) August 23, 2021

5. Eugénie Le Sommer’s stunning first goal 

After leading Lyon to three-straight Division 1 Féminine titles from 2017-20, Eugénie Le Sommer brought her world-class attacking talents to OL Reign. The French star scored her first NWSL goal in July, putting her defender on skates before delivering a skillful, must-see finish.

In her 17 regular-season appearances with OL Reign, Le Sommer notched seven goals and three assists, guiding the club to a semifinal berth.

It's goal No. 1 in a Reign uniform for Eugenie Le Sommer!

The home team takes the lead! #RGNvLOU | https://t.co/iecT7II54a | #NWSL pic.twitter.com/goMjG1rnU1

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 1, 2021

4. NWSL players make a statement

The NWSL underwent a reckoning midway through the 2021 season after Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly went public with their accusations of sexual coercion and abuse against former North Carolina Courage coach Paul Riley. The report in The Athletic spurred turnover at the top of the NWSL, with commissioner Lisa Baird resigning the day after the allegations were revealed.

Games were postponed the following weekend, and players demanded the NWSL institute sweeping changes with regards to player safety and transparency. When clubs returned to the pitch the following Wednesday, players across the league made a collective statement, pausing at the six-minute mark to stand at the center of the field in solidarity with Shim and Farrelly, who had been pressured into staying silent for six years.

The move reverberated around the women’s soccer world, with teams in foreign leagues showing their support. The NWSL’s stand instigated an overdue — and ongoing — conversation around power and silence in women’s soccer.

pic.twitter.com/mlzE5Q8q8F

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) October 6, 2021

3. Carli Lloyd’s Philly send-off

Carli Lloyd received a send-off befitting her historic and unprecedented career, after the soccer legend announced her retirement at the age of 39. Gotham FC honored Lloyd’s contribution to the sport and the league by hosting a farewell game in Philadelphia, near her hometown of Delran, N.J., in October.

Playing in front of fans at Subaru Park, Lloyd expressed her gratitude after the match, calling it “the most special evening of my career.”

Thank you all for the most special evening of my career. A memory I will never forget. I will miss all of this. I will miss all of you! ❤️ https://t.co/f0Bx7LsYtB

— Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd) October 7, 2021

2. Ashley Sanchez’s ridiculous chip

Ashley Sanchez scored one of the most consequential goals of her career when she delivered the go-ahead finish to send the Washington Spirit past OL Reign and to the NWSL Championship.

The 22-year-old did it in style, too, chipping Sarah Bouhaddi, one of the most league’s most seasoned goalkeepers, to clinch the 2-1 semifinal victory. The poise Sanchez showed to find the back of the net from a ridiculous angle — and when the stakes were highest — made it one of the best goals of the season.

The @WashSpirit are headed to the NWSL Championship 🏆

The goal that sealed their comeback win vs. OL Reign 💥

(via @NWSL)pic.twitter.com/Nx8UiOJwTz

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 14, 2021

1. Kelley O’Hara heads home NWSL championship game-winner

The Washington Spirit took home the club’s first-ever NWSL championship after beating the Chicago Red Stars 2-1 in an extra-time thriller. Heading home the final goal was Kelley O’Hara, the seasoned USWNT veteran who has long called Washington D.C. her adopted “home.”

In her first season with the club, O’Hara provided the NWSL’s youngest team invaluable leadership and motivation. So, it was only fitting that she scored the deciding goal, her first of the season.

Kelley O’Hara in extra-time to give @WashSpirit the lead in the NWSL final 🔥

(via @NWSL)pic.twitter.com/2JlQ3RiO2q

— B/R Football (@brfootball) November 20, 2021

Overcoming Richie Burke’s firing, ownership infighting and a breach in COVID-19 protocols which resulted in two forfeits, the Spirit miraculously finished the season on a nine-game undefeated streak. With NWSL Golden Boot winner Ashley Hatch, Rookie of the Year Trinity Rodman and Goalkeeper of the Year Aubrey Bledsoe, the Spirit had championship-level talent, and O’Hara’s header capped one of the most exciting and dominant runs in NWSL history.

Star LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson knows exactly what she'd get head coach Kim Mulkey for Christmas.

"Blue crabs," she told Just Women's Sports in November, days before DICK'S Sporting Goods declared her Greatest Wrapper in the Game, a promotion touting the college senior's own wrapping paper line and online video series. "Me and her, we like to eat blue crab."

Ranked No. 5 in the AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll, LSU is never far from the Final Four conversation. But Johnson — who's increasingly brought a personal touch to her leadership role on the Tigers — has ambitions that extend far beyond finishing out her collegiate career on top.

Already an NCAA champion with eyes on next year's WNBA draft, the 22-year-old dynamic guard  has cemented her legacy as a multi-talent. She's a decorated musician and rapper, an interdisciplinary studies major with a minor in sports administration, and a menace on the court with a motor that never quits. 

"I gotta be me first," she said — and that's the secret to her success.

As LSU's leading scorer, Flau'jae Johnson is off to the races

Johnson knows that the Tigers' nonconference schedule rarely features marquee matchups. 

"We don't play nobody in our nonconference schedule," she said. "From December on out, that's when it gets really [exciting]." 

Mulkey often schedules a slow start for the team, gradually building towards peak form once LSU enters SEC play in January.

That hasn't stopped the Tigers from showing the country what they're capable of this season. They've scored more than 100 points through all eight matchups so far, setting a new NCAA record for consecutive 100+ point games. 

Johnson's progress has featured heavily in every blowout win. She leads the team in points, assists, and three-point percentage per game. But she sees her greatest growth in the intangibles.

Flau'jae Johnson steps up as LSU coach Kim Mulkey's right hand

A self-described loner, Johnson strived to connect with new teammates throughout her four years in Baton Rouge. It's an especially important task as part of an LSU team that thrives through the transfer portal. 

The Tigers won the NCAA championship in 2023 — Johnson's freshman year — led by transfer forward Angel Reese, who was then joined the following year by high-profile transfers Hailey Van Lith and Aneesah Morrow. This season, former South Carolina Gamecock MiLaysia Fulwiley has entered the mix, with Johnson quickly creating chemistry. 

"Ballers just want to ball, like hoopers just want to hoop," she said. "You find different ways to bond and gel with teammates." 

When the accomplished hip hop artist's not in the groove working on music, she's trying to extend a hand to the team's freshest faces. "It's been a new job for me as a leader on the team," she said. "It's been easy though, because we just want to hoop."

Year-in, year-out, the Tigers' success relies on picking up instructions and learning schemes quickly, with Johnson — a player very comfortable with Mulkey's system — stepping up to take on the role of team liaison. 

"You've just got to read everybody, their emotions, how they're feeling, and you've just got to be there for everybody," she explained. "But that's not hard for me, because I'm an older sister."

Holiday trips and Secret Santas: Flau'jae Johnson's familial drive

Family is everything to Johnson. Being a college basketball star can make the holiday season tough, as the season runs straight through time she'd love to spend back home in Georgia. And with conference play on the horizon, she knows she has to stay focused on the court now more than ever.

"I kind of put that out of my mind, that I won't be with my family until I go pro, because it used to be hard on me seeing my little brothers go trick-or-treating and stuff without me," she reflected, noting how excited she was to use her own DICK'S wrapping paper to shower her family with gifts this year. 

Her favorite college holiday memory also involves her family, when her entire family traveled to the team's Thanksgiving tournament in the Bahamas. 

"My momma snuck food on the plane — literally the whole Thanksgiving, she cooked it and froze it and put it under the plane," she said, beaming. "And we had a smash Thanksgiving meal in freaking the Bahamas."

This year, Johnson's already looking forward to her team's annual Secret Santa exchange, while also planning to spend her limited time off this winter on a surprise family cabin trip to Colorado The world of NIL has opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for Johnson to spread her growing wealth, and she's taken to those opportunities with easy charm.

Setting sights on No. 1, from Baton Rouge to the WNBA

Far from settling for a decorated college run and lucrative personal brand, Johnson is also locked in on making a smooth transition to the WNBA. The calendar year for rising pros is a physical gauntlet, with the draft taking place just weeks after what LSU hopes will be a deep NCAA tournament campaign.

"I'm so ready to go pro," she said. "I really want to establish myself, to show I could be the number one pick in the draft. I feel like my talent level is there, but I've got to execute." 

"The W is fascinating," she added. "It's forever growing, and it's powerful women doing these things. So I'm just excited to be in that group."

Johnson has recently been focusing on her fitness, anticipating increased physicality at the pro level — while also aiming for balance. "They're not going to be swinging me around like I'm a little rag doll," she laughed. "[But] I feel like my mind is the most important part. I want to grow, I want to get better."

Of course, other than committing to winning at all levels, Johnson doesn't know exactly what her future holds. For now, she'll continue to make music, sharpen her game, and stay true to herself. As a player with so many gifts to give, the rest will come naturally.

Athletes Unlimited Softball League (AUSL) stocked up by adding 43 former NCAA and Olympic stars to its ranks on Monday night, with Talons utility player Maya Brady — niece of retired NFL legend Tom Brady — leading the charge as the No. 1 overall pick by the incoming Oklahoma City Spark in the league's expansion draft.

Starting the inaugural 2025 AUSL campaign on injured reserve, the former UCLA standout went on to feature in six games for the championship-winning Talons, registering one double, one home run, and five RBIs on the season.

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The now-six -team league absorbed the previously independent Spark as part of an initial expansion plan, acquiring the Oklahoma City-based squad with the intention of finding permanent homes for all AUSL teams in the near future.

Also joining the AUSL next year is new franchise Cascade, which snagged Volts pitcher and former University of Oklahoma ace Sam Landry as the No. 2 overall pick on Monday.

Though the four original teams protected five players each, the Spark and Cascade raided their rosters in the expansion draft, claiming stars like infielders Sydney Romero (Talons) and Jessi Warren (Volts) as well as pitchers Alana Vawter (Blaze) and Payton Gottshall (Volts) for their debut lineups.

Immediately following the expansion draft, all six teams took part in an allocation draft, selecting athletes from either the 2025 AUSL Reserve Pool or those previously competing outside the league.

Former Oklahoma and Oklahoma State pitcher Kelly Maxwell earned the top pick in the allocation draft, with the new Cascade player joined by other recent NCAA softball legends like former Sooners Kinzie Hansen, Jayda Coleman, and Jocelyn Alo, Florida State's Kat Sandercock and Sydney Sherrill, Washington's Sis Bates, and Clemson's Valerie Cagle.

US Soccer officially launched the Kang Women's Institute on Tuesday, creating a new platform dedicated to "advancing health, performance, and development for women and girls across the sport" funded by $55 million from multi-team owner Michele Kang.

"For far too long, women and girls have trained under systems and standards built for men, and the Kang Women's Institute is an essential first step in changing that," US Soccer president Cindy Parlow Cone said in a federation statement. "By grounding our work in real research and evidence, we can finally give female players the support, care, and understanding they deserve.

"This is the beginning of a much larger effort, and Michele has helped us take a huge leap forward in reshaping the future of the women's game for generations to come."

After adding a $25 million investment last April to her original $30 million pledge to US Soccer in 2024, Kang is going all in on addressing the stark lack of sports medicine and exercise science research into women athletes — and female physiology at-large.

"This Institute will put female athletes at the center of US Soccer's scientific research and build the evidence, systems, and standards that will allow women and girls to reach their full potential," promised Kang.

The Institute also outlined its early initiatives in Tuesday's press release, with injury prevention and workload management, developmental best practices, and physical and mental player well-being headlining the projects.

"This is not just about closing a research gap," said Kang. "It's about creating a future where every player has the knowledge, care, and opportunity to thrive."

The PWHL is rapidly looking to ramp up expansion, with EVP of business operations Amy Scheer saying this week that the third-year pro hockey league could welcome "two to four" new teams as soon as next year.

"If I was a betting woman, I'd say it'd be four teams. And then I think we'll hold at 12 for a bit," she told CNBC Sport, noting the league's immediate success with 2025/26 expansion sides the Vancouver Goldeneyes and the Seattle Torrent — the latter of which shattered the US women's hockey attendance record in their Friday home opener.

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Accordingly, the PWHL will continue testing possible new markets using the league's historically packed Takeover Tour, with this season's 11-city route expanding to feature seven new host venues.

"What does the support of women's sports look like there?" Scheer said, outlining the league's criteria for assessing potential markets. "If there's an NHL team, what does that look like? Or from the building, is there government support there? How does it impact travel? So there's a lot of factors."

As for the league's notably speedy expansion pace, Scheer told Front Office Sports that the PWHL has "proven that time is overrated."

"The more our numbers grow, the more value we have as a league, the more value we have against our partnerships we sell, the more merchandise we sell," Scheer explained. "Those two things — growth and profitability — are not separate."